A Belonging Stranger
by LooneyLoon
Summary: An Altair/OC story about a high school senior swept away from present times to 1191 AD. For years her dream was becoming an assassin like her ancestors, but does she have what it takes?
1. Halloween Time Travel

It was Halloween night and I layed in bed, rereading a book I'd read so many times. It was about the Third Crusade of 1191 when the Assassin Brotherhood was strong. The action of the kills made my heart race every time I read it. I could simply imagine being chased by the Templars and feel the relief of getting away unharmed. The excitement of a sword fight made my blood rush. I wished I could whisk myself away into that world. These are the tales of my ancestors, I thought for the thousanth time.

I was so fansinatied with everything. I practiced throwing kitchen knives and darts in my spare time, I learned to speak and read Arabic, and I was a decent archer. My heart ached to practice with a sword. I wanted to be an assassin, it was in my blood, my family was a long line of assassins. Well, my generation wasn't interested in that; my father wanted to forget everything about our ancestors. No one knew of my interest except for my mom, who supported it.

I shut my book and hid it carefully under my matress. If anyone else found out that I obsessed over it, let alone read it at all, I was toast. I strutted over to my closet and pulled a white robe out of the old wooden trunk. I'd never worn it before and the school Halloween party seemed like the perfect chance to do so without feeling strange. I fastened all the straps and struggled to put on the waist band. Then, for the final touch, I slipped on the grey hood. When I looked into the mirror, I saw a novice assassin staring back. The best part was, the clothes fit perfectly besides being a tad loose on my waist.  
My mom smiled when she saw me walking toward her. She kissed my forehead and said,"Have fun, little assassin." I couldn't help but smile. Just as I reached for the door handle, mom tapped me on the shoulder.

"I've kept this a secret from your dad. It's the perfect accesory," She whispered while strapping the most wonderful thing I'd ever seen to my arm. It was the Hidden Blade used by assassins! I hugged mom with a small scream of delight. Mom opened the door and pushed me out with a chuckle. "You'd better get going or you'll never catch those Templars!" By the time she had finished her sentence, I had walked down the driveway.

Going to the high school was a short walk and after four years of taking the same route, it didn't even feel the length it was. I kept flicking the Hidden Blade in and out. A couple times I 'stabbed' an unsuspecting mailbox and walked away. I'm having too much fun with this. I should have been more serious with such a dealy weapon, so I straightened up.

The high school gym was packed and as soon as I walked, people marveled at my robes. I really didn't have a date or anything, I just wanted to be an assassin for a night. I heard my group of friends call over to me from the punch bowl. "Wow, Katherine, epic costume!" The voice had come from Ellen, my closest friend. She was dressed up in a Japanese kimono. Of course it was made of only black, grey, and white silk. She was just darker that way. We probably had the most darkly themed costumes there.

The party had gone well; the gym was trashed. I walked out last and turned to leave when something caught my eye. A piece of metal glimmered in the moon's light and I was drawn to walk over. I picked up a throwing knife with the assassin's symbol carved into its side. I stared at it, wondering how on earth it got placed next to the school's dumpsters. I placed it within a knife holder and continued on my way. Suddenly, I dropped to the ground feeling like I had to vomit. The stars disappeared and the world slowly began spinning around me. It got faster and faster until I couldn't bear to keep my eyes open. My whole body felt like it was being pinched and I screamed. No sound came out of my mouth. I plummeted down into pitch black; my eyes closed tighter. I felt myself falling faster. Then my face slammed into hard stone. I laid there while my head throbbed in waves of pain. "There he is, the assassin! Kill him!" Someone yelled in Arabic from behind me. I leapt on to my feet despite the pain and made a run for it. Since I had landed on a roof, I leapt over to another one. I didn't think of the height I could have fallen. The angry guards were still right behind me. I walked across a thin rotting plank that would have brought me to safety and it snapped while I was half way across. I did a small front roll to break my fall. I mentally thanked my dad for forcing me to take gymnastics. But now I was in full view of the public. And other guards. I swore under my breath and took off toward the city's exit. I almost made it, but there were guards at the entrance as well. One of them caught me by the back of my robes and tossed me into the ground. I gasped and rolled out of the way of his sword. I suddenly remembered the blade hidden under my sleeve. I jumped up, flicked the blade out of its hiding and stabbed my attacker in the neck. I twisted it a little, pulled it out, and he dropped dead. I realized that more of them were closing in and took off toward some saddled horses. Once again, someone caught me.

"Hault!" He told the others. "This one's not the assassin who has killed our noble leader. This one is too young and he has a grey hood, not a white one. We'll bring him to the castle for interrogation." I felt my arms bound behind me and my legs being tied as well. One of them threw me up unto his shoulder while I wiggled helplessly. I knew it was useless. I was going to be asked questions I didn't know the answers too and then I would be put through some horrible death. I wondered why they kept calling me a boy. Did the idiots not notice I had feminine curves? One of them refered to me as a boy again.  
"I'm a girl!" I barked in Arabic. I was thrown to the ground and stared at by every single guard present. There were whispers and the leader of the group ordered me to be picked up again. It was very uncomfortable to be slung over someone's shoulder. I swore I would never do that to my little brother again. That was, if I ever saw my little brother again. I wondered where I was and started to look around, being I had nothing better to do.

The streets were busy with people dressed in so many different colored robes. Women were carrying pots, some men were lifting boxes, merchants were trying to persuade people to bye, and everything seemed so alive! I spotted a church that I recognized from somewhere. I gasped and remembered seeing the same church in my history book. The church was popular during 1191. I had somehow been brought back in time to 1191! I shook with excitment; perhaps I'd get to meet an assassin! Then, I stopped and remembered my situation. I wasn't going to be around long. After the guards found out I knew nothing, they'd kill me. Who was the true assassin they had been searching for? Just as they were going to bring me into the castle, the answer leaped down in front of me. My heart froze and my jaw dropped as I saw him approach. He was dressed in pure white robes and he was armed with many freshly polished weapons. The assassin pointed toward me.

"Release my brother." He commanded. The guard carrying me laughed and tossed me to the ground agai to drew his sword. I saw one flick of an arm and then everything happened so quickly and chaos consumed all. The assassin was outnumbered, so maybe he was not intending to save me. I had to get myself out of those ropes. I flicked out my hidden blade and sliced through the wrist binds and then easily cut through the ones around my legs. There was no where to run, the fighting cut off the stairs that lead into the streets. So I guess up was the way to go. I swung myself up onto a platform above and continued to climb. I kept the thought that if I stopped, I died. I dug my feet into windows and divets in the building. My hands frantically grabbed at anything I could use to pull myself up.

My whole body ached from the long climb to the towers of the castle. I sprinted from guard post to guard post, finding every single one empty. They had all gone to take care of the assassin. I looked down from the top of one the towers and gasped. It would mean death if I fell. I ran around to the opposite side of the castle that the fight was on. A ladder was placed conveniently against the exterior. It was a frightfully long way down, but the guards were starting to come back to their posts, so I scrambled down in a frenzy. I skipped the last ten steps and jumped. I was so worn out, my eyes sagged and my head hurt even more now. I wished I had grabbed some non-aspirin before leaving.  
I climbed up another ladder to stand on the roof tops. My instincts told me I was safer up there. My legs couldn't stand any longer, so they colasped under me. If they found me, I wouldn't resist death. I didn't have the energy to do so. I usually would have plenty of spring left, but something about time travel wore a person out.

"It wouldn't be wise to sit now. We must leave the city," Said a firm voice behind me, I recognized it as the assassin's. He grabbed my arm and forced me to stand. Before I could say anything, he pulled me along with him. I had a hard time keeping up with my miserably sore feet. I forced myself to ignore the pain and walk just as fast as the assassin. He let go of my arm, expecting me to follow, which I did. He started scaling the city walls and I looked up, frowning. Another climb? I didn't know how much more I could take. But this was a chance of a life time, this was my dream. Pain and weariness weren't going to keep me from following him.

I reached the top were he was waiting patiently. I had a question, but just as I was about to ask it, he jumped off of the wall. I gasped and peered down. He'd landed in a cart of hay. He motioned for me to jump too. I jumped.

It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. The rush of the wind swirling around my head took away gathering sweat droplets. I felt enormous power as I landed into the soft and welcoming hay. I leaped out and joining the white robed assassin behind the cart. "Stay low," He whispered. He lead the way as we edged toward some horses nibbling on a grassy patch. They looked at us curiously but didn't make a sound. He mounted a very tall black stallion and I leaped up onto a cream colored mare about the same height. "There they are!" Someone shouted. I heard him bark orders, but we had taken off in a gallop, so I didn't have the time to translate what he said. Citizens dodged out of the way, dropping everything they were carrying and swore. I almost laughed at them, but I contained myself. Better to make a good first impression with this assassin. He didn't slow the pace of his horse until we were well away from that city. I felt lightheaded and almost fell off the saddle. Breaths came in sharp pains, yet I gasped for more air. A fire of pain spread from my head to my lungs and choked me. Both metally and physically. What was wrong with me?

The assassin noticed my horse had stopped and turned around. So much for first impressions. I had wanted to appear strong and I had failed. Shame washed over me and beat on my mind as he took me down. When he laid me on the ground, my hood slipped off. For a split second, I saw shock flash onto his face. Then it went back to an emotionless stare. He said something under his breath and walked away from my sight. He wasn't going to leave me here, was he? 


	2. Jerusalem

I tried to keep from passing out by focusing on thinking. So I thought about why I was hurting and I reached over to my right ribs. The whole right side of my chest was covered in blood and I couldn't help but groan when I felt an arrow sticking out of me. How had I not noticed that? Back home I always got injuries and never noticed them until later, but one would think I'd notice something like this. If the assassin had left me, he had left me to die. A small portion of my panicky mind told me that he was coming back, though. My heart was beating so fast I knew it would explode any moment now and I wanted to scream at the world to stop spinning. "This is what happens when you don't listen. These thoughts of being an assassin are stupid. Get them out of your immature mind!" I heard my father shout. I knew I was imagining things because no one was in sight, but father's voice continued echoeing in my mind. A wind picked up and blasted a chill into my wound, directing my attention back to the pain.

I heard someone approaching, their footsteps were soft and barely audible, but I forced myself to hear them. The assassin was kneeling next to me, looking at the arrow. So, he had come back! My pulse slowed as relief washed over me. Even though it hurt like hell when he dislodged the arrow, I was so calm I surprised myself. He began talking to me, but I only caught on to clips. I found out his name was Altair and that we were somewhere near Damascus. He asked me what my name was. I knew I couldn't use my real name, so I scanned my mind for various Arabic ones that would sound fitting. I remembered the name my mom had given me and the word slipped off my tounge unintentionally.

"Hajar," I murmured. The name meant 'the stranger' and it was actually quite fitting. Altair didn't respond while he quietly wrapped cloth around the deep gash in my side. My left gauntlet suddenly caught his eye and I pathetically tried to resist as he took my hidden blade away. Altair looked from the gauntlet to me and back again, his eyes were asking me where I had gotten it. I prepared a wimpy answer to the question as the assassin pocketed my only weapon and briskly started to walk farther and farther away. His was mounting his horse, he was going to leave! No, I wasn't going to be left alone again. I struggled to stand and picked up the closest rock to my feet.

"YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE ME HERE, DAMMIT!" I chucked the stone aimlessly and it ended up hitting the dead center of his head. Altair sharply turned the horse around and appeared to be mentally stabbing me. I slowly crawled on to my mount and trotted over to him. "I'm coming," I assured him. "I promise not to be too much of a burden." Over the next few hours, the sun beat down heavily, and I only closed my eyes for a minute...

Things began to swirling violently and angry tears drenched my shirt. My house was so still when I crept in. "Mom? Dad? Cecil?" My voice echoed for a long time. No one returned my repeated calls, so I began to search the house. The living room, bathroom, master bedroom, Cecil's room, and all the closets contained nothing but dust. I hadn't even touched the handle of my door and it swung open. My heart tore in half and a blood-curdling scream ripped from my lungs. There was nothing I could do. Helplessness brought me down on my knees beside the motionless bodies of my family. I sobbed madly while craddling my little brother's corpse. "Why? Why Cecil?" I whispered. I started screaming his name over and over as I was dragged away.

"NO!" I shreiked, almost lurching off the saddle. Altair was standing next to me holding the reins; he had shaken me awake. I wondered how it was possible to dream like that during a day nap. "It's just a dream," I said to myself, but I wasn't so sure; the dream had seemed so real. What if my family was actually dead? I wanted to cry so badly, which I probably had during my dream, but I painfully fought them. "What was your dream about?" Altair asked, leading the horse foward again. "My family," I replied quietly. He nodded and never mentioned it again. I began to wonder where we were heading and what had happened to his horse. "Where are we going?" I inquired in vain. I sighed and tried to get more comfortable, I had a feeling this was going to be a long trip. I was happy that sleep had taken some of my pain away, though the wound still burned like hell. It was some hours later before a city came into sight. I popped out of my daydreaming to get a better look. There wasn't much to see besides a few stalls in front of a stone wall that went around the whole city. What was up with cities and stone walls? We dismounted near a hay pile and Altair dragged me toward praying men in white robes, probably scholars. He nudged me immpatiently because I had not put my hands in a praying position. As soon as I had, the scholars moved slowly toward the entrance. I gapped at how the guards simply stepped aside to the praying men. "That one there looks familiar, doesn't he?" One of them whispered.  
"Eh, all them scholars look the same to me. You're just drunk again," Another replied. The scholars took us far in to the depths of the city before we departed from their group. Altair helped me up unto some roofs and I just hoped that what happened in Damascus wouldn't repeat itself. I wanted to know where I was so that I could start a mental map, so I sat down. Altair grabbed for my arm but I snapped it away.  
"Not until I know where we are," I protested.

"Fine," He sighed. "We're in Jerusalem. Now come on before you get another arrow stuck in you." I didn't argue as he pulled me up, I got what I had asked for. As we worked our way up and around buildings, there was suddenly a huge hole in one of the roofs. Altair jumped down and I slowly lowered myself in to find his hands there to help. The hidden place we were in had some pillows on which he gestured for me to sit. I got the impression he didn't want me to follow him through the entrance in to another room.  
"Ah, Altair. Has our new master already punished you?" scoffed a man I couldn't see.  
"No," Altair said firmly. "I'm here on entirely different cercomstances."  
"And what might this be?" The man sounded completely uninterested.  
"I need a favor, Malik. It may be a big one or small one depending on how you look at it."  
"Go on."

Altair explained what had happened in Damascus without interruption. There was silence before Altair asked his favor.  
"Would you keep Hajar here until I go and explain this to the Master? I'll only be gone a week at the most."  
"At least you were smart enough to not take her directly to Maysaf. This new master is even less understanding and excepting then Al Mualim," Malik replied, obviously avoiding the question.  
"Please, keep her?" Then I heard Altair whisper something to Malik, but I couldn't decifer a single word.  
"You'd better get going. The sooner you leave, the sooner you come back," Malik said. Altair had probably nodded his thanks to him before leaving. He said good bye to me and was gone before I had the chance to respond.  
"Bye," I whispered toward the exit. 


	3. Lost and Found

Malik was definitly not the best of hosts, but my stay at the bureau wasn't completely miserable. For the most part, the Rafiq talked to me about the Brotherhood. He constantly told me that I was either going to be accepted and trained or I would be killed, so it didn't matter what I learned. That wasn't a depressing thought at all. It had been two days since Altair had left and I was getting anxious.

"If you keep pacing like that, you'll leave track marks in the floor," Malik commented indifferently, not looking up from his work. I sighed and plopped down on the pillows. I laid with my legs leaning against the wall and my foot began to tap impatiently, like it couldn't wait to leave. Hearing a frustrated groan from the other room, I stopped. There was nothing to do; Malik wasn't in a mood for lecturing today, I couldn't go out, and I'd already burned through the few books there. I subconsiously started to pace again while thinking up various was Malik could have lost his left arm. "You remind me of someone." The voice was very quiet and elegiac. "He never liked to be cooped up, either." My interest of this person brought me into Malik's work room.

"Who is he?" I asked, hoping to strike up a conversation. The sun had travel an eighth of the sky before the Rafiq spoke. "My younger brother, Kadar. He was about your age when he went on his first assignment. He was very good with a sword for a novice, but throwing knives were his weakness. Kadar never could hit his target."  
"I'm sure he's very good with them by now," I said. Malik went pale and looked off into space.

"Kadar is no longer around. He departed from this world a few months ago, at the hands of those damn templars." Malik spat their name furiously before settling into depression. I remembered that horrific dream of my dead family and a dagger of pain twisted my heart. My neck tightened on contact with the cold wet drops.

"You have lost family too?" The Rafiq asked quietly. All I could manage was a nod because my throat had shriveled up painfully. He reached over and patted my shoulder. "Why don't you find some clothes in the back, people will be suspicious of those robes. Take a dagger as well, you never know what might happen on these streets." I leapt up happily and nearly started skipping to the back closet. Had I only imagined the slight smile on Malik's face?

I poked around in an old trunk and found a faded blue dress. It was a couple sizes small, so it stuck to my hips and waist like glue, but it was the only women's clothing I could find. I was very tempted to wear a man's robe, but I didn't want any extra attention, so I decided against it. A small leather sack I'd found was perfect for hiding the dagger. Just so that I could still feel hidden, I wrapped a headscarf around my face. Malik nodded in approval as I walked by. I pocketed my feet in some of the wall's many cracks, climbed a couple steps, and then I launched myself at the beam that held up the roof. Fire engulfed my arms as I squirmed up.

But, just being outside again was an incredible feeling. The heat of the day was fading and my lungs tingled with the swirl of crisp evening air. Jerusalem slowly got quieter as people started to go home and before I knew it, I was the only one in the city roaming around. However, traveling via rooftops was still a bit new to me and the tight robes didn't help. I wanted to keep going, to find out what was on the other side of the next roof. The guards never took notice of me as I crept onward silently.

I took my cue for a rest when my lungs started to ache; being wounded really limited me. Glancing around my surrounds made me realize my stupid mistake. I had wandered so far off, that I didn't know the way back and there was no way I could find it in the dark. As sigh ecsaped my lips and I shook my head in my palm. "You've really outdone yourself this time," I whisper harshly to myself. "At least if you don't find your way back, they won't have to put up with your foolishness."

The temperature was dropping quickly as the sun's final rays disappeared beyond the city walls. Coldness wrapped around my bones and made my whole body tremble. I peered off into the distance to catch the faint glow of a fire and wished to be basking in its warmth. Well, I was the one who had been stupid, and stupidness was punished by the world. I wrapped my arms around my stomach, hoping that would warm me up slightly, and walked back from where I thought I had come.  
As the night stretched on, I managed to become hopelessly lost on the homes of Jerusalem. My only reasonable option was to find some place to sleep, so I scaled down to the streets. My breath rolled out in front of me and the clanking of my teeth filled my ears. I braced my side to ease my wound's throbbing, but all efforts were in vain. Suddenly, I was pulled around a corner and a dirt covered hand blocked my shriek.

"Now, what's a pretty little thing like you wandering the streets at this hour?" He was obviously amused by my struggles for freedom. "Now then, one sound and your head won't sit on properly on your neck." He released my mouth only to grab my arm and drag me further away from the main road. The moon's light didn't reach the grimey alley and nothing seemed to be moving. I remembered the dagger in the leather bag and catiously moved my free hand toward it.

"Don't even think about that," The man growled, jerking me closer. I wondered what gruesome and horrible things awaited me.  
The light of the torches was blinding as the stranger pulled me through a doorway. He released me and it sounded like he had locked the door. As I gained my sight back, I found the hooded man leaning against some pillows. Shock had consumed my body and restricted movement. "Come, sit." His voice wasn't harsh or threatning in the slightest now and I found myself sitting across from him, frozen still. "Now, then. Let's see that weapon." He gestured at my bag. I placed the dagger in front of him and held my breath. To my surpise he laughed as he obsereved it and pulled his hood down. He was probably in his late twenties and I had to admit, he was good looking.  
"You're with the assassins, huh?" He laughed again. "Well then, miss assassin, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Jabir."  
"Hajar," I replied quietly with my head hung. There was silence before I suddenly burst. "Why did you just drag me here?! What are going to do?!"

"Ah, so you can speak. I dragged you here because you were walking right into a cluster of guards who would have given you hell, trust me. Also, you walked like an injuried person. How bad is it?"

"You still haven't answered my other question."

"I plan to help you, if you let me."

"It's an arrow wound, I was shot about four days ago. I think it's reopened."

"That would explain the blood." I gasped and looked to the left. Sure enough, half my dress was stained with the warm liquid. "Lay down, I'm going to stop the bleeding," Jabir ordered softly, motioning toward a rug. I shook my head.

"You'll bleed to death." Okay, that fact forced me to trust him, didn't it? Jabir ripped my dress open just enough to work with the wound. I closed my eyes and listened to the various noises of medical work.

"How do you know of the Brotherhood?" I wondered aloud. To my surprise, Jabir actually started to explain everything.  
"Well, it starts with me and my childhood friend. He grew up and became a Rafiq for the assassins, working here in Jerusalem. I was only about fifteen when the Templars took everything from me. My friend would let me come stay in the bureau for a few days at a time so I could rest safely. Then, a few months ago, some grouchy man by the name of Malik took his place.  
The next time I went there, well, let's just say Malik and I didn't get along at all," Jabir sighed, gesturing toward a scar on his neck. "But, if you want, I can take you to the bureau in the morning. The guards are strangely active tonight. Something about a spy sneaking into the city, but I bet they just need something to get excited about. Probably got the story from a beggar woman."

"Altair! He must be back! Jabir, you must take me now!" I begged, grabbing on to his robes to shake him. He looked down at me, his face very fill with pain. Shame made my hands falter.  
"I know what the feeling is. Having someone you love worry about you is a horrible thing. But if we leave now, the guards will kill us for sure. We wait until morning, now let me finish or your wound will get worse."  
I laid back down and gave Jarid an apologetic glance before sleepiness got the best of me. 


	4. A Novice?

It felt like I had only slept a few minutes, I didn't want to get up yet. Jabir shook me a little harder and joked,"Come on, that Altair person is waiting for you." I sprung up instantly and noticed my side was hurting a lot less now. Jabir laughed at my sudden spur of energy, slipped his hood on, and decided to walk incredibly slowly to the door just to annoy me. I pulled him out the last two feet and eagerly shut and locked the door behind him.

"Let me ask you something," Jabir said to me as I pulled him along into the main road.

"Sure, anything," I agreed happily because I knew I owed him.  
"Why in heaven's name would you want to go back? If you walked so far away from the bureau, why do you want to go back? If you're afraid that Malik or this Altair person will chase you down, I can hide you. I-"

"It's not that!" I interrupted. "I got lost because I don't know Jerusalem's streets. I need to go back. Altair has returned with news on if I can be accepted by the Brotherhood as an assassin or not."

"Oh," He sighed with a distant expression and I began to wonder what he had against the assassins, but I didn't dare ask. Guilt flooded me because he had so graciously rescued me and I repaid him with gloom. "I'm sorry," I said quietly. His reply only hightened my confusion.  
"No, don't be. I can understand your dream. I used to have a similiar one." Nothing more was said, partially because we were walking down a heavily guarded street. Jabir quickly warned me to step carefully as we passed a group of Templars, but as he turned to say so, a passing jar carrier smashed into him. He went tumbling right into the cluster, knocking them down like bowling pins. I sprinted after Jabir as he flew from the street's chaos before anyone could comprehend the madness. He took a tight turn into a cart of hay and I leaped in loyally after him. I felt around blindly for Jabir until my hand landed soflty on his. "Hajar, stay quiet. If they find us now they'll kill me and put you through a worse fate."

My heart skipped quite a few beats as I felt Jabir slide his fingers through mine to take my hand. Heat crept up on my cheeks and I was relieved that the hay hid the blush. It felt like an eternity waiting for things to calm on the streets, but when I felt Jabir's hand leave, I slowly waded out of the hay. He was walking away as I lept out and with difficulty, I caught up and followed in silence. He motioned to follow him when he started to climb a building. Jabir had taken the easiest way so I simply traced his path and he pulled me up on the last few feet. I was standing in front of the entrance of the bureau; my heart throbbed with the thought of leaving Jabir.

"Good bye, and good luck," He said solemnly with his hand on my shoulder. I felt emotion swelling inside and I compulsivly hugged him. Jabir stroked my hair and quietly wished me luck again before pushing me away.

"Good bye, Jabir. I will see you again, right?" My voice was very shakey as I looked up at him hopefully.  
"Yes. Yes, you will see me again, I'll make sure of that."  
Then he leapt down from the building, leaving me to face the wrath of Malik and Altair, who were having a heated debate from what I could hear.

Since I had woken up I'd had no trouble from my wound, so I could gracefully lept down into the bureau and broke my fall with a front roll. The shouting fell silent as I walked in with my head down. I could almost feel Altair and Malik's stares burn into my head before Malik burst with anger.

"I let you go out and you don't come back until the next morning?! How could you be so stupid and reckless?!" He demanded, but I had no answer for him. "Well?! Speak for yourself, girl!" "I'm sorry. There is no excuse for what I've done," I apologized seriously, waiting to be verbally punished, but to my surprise, neither of them spoke harshly.

"Well, at least tell us what happened," Altair reasoned and Malik nodded, both waiting for my story. I told them everything about getting lost and Jabir, but I didn't give them his name. When Malik asked it of me, I simply said he didn't tell me.

"Hm, well then, I suppose you're eager to find out if you are going to Maysaf," Malik sighed with obvious annoyance at not knowing Jabir's name. I looked at Altair, hoping to find some sort of emotion, but I only met with an apathetic stare. After studying my face, the assassin finally spoke with the news.

"You will be taken to Masyaf," He started and I nearly ran over to hug him. "The Master wishes to see you. Be aware that your meeting with him can mean many things." The warning sucked away my overflowing happiness and replaced it with overwhelming apprehension. Altair gestured toward my assassin robes and I quickly snatched them up and changed in the closet. When I came out, Altair wasn't there, but Malik motioned me over to him. "He's waiting outside the walls, you must manage to get out of Jerusalem unnoticed. Here, take this." The Rafiq handed me a bundle of food and a canteen of water. "That is what you must live on until you reach Masyaf. Good luck and be safe, Hajar." He said my name as if I were a precious item. Perhaps to Malik I was, because I reminded him of when times were better.

"Thank you for everything, Malik," I said with a nod before climbing out of the bureau.

After an hour of running around without being caught weaponless by the guards, I finally reached the safety of the horses outside Jerusalem. I quickly mounted and joined Altair, who had been waiting in the distance. "You were fast for a novice," He commented. I was about to thank him, but he cut me off. "Let's see if you can ride just as quickly." With a sudden kick and a whinny, Altair flew off. After insane leg flapping and swearing from me, the horse finally decided to jolt into action and take the lead. Moments later, the horses were neck to neck, each straining to lengthen their strides. I glanced over at Altair and our eyes met for a joyful second that spanned an eternity. We often had races such as this along the way.

It took about six days to reach the beautiful city of Masyaf and both Altair and I were exhausted. My wound had started to throb brutally half way and it was much worse now, but I never let the assassin see my pain. I remember falling over on steps leading to a stone fortress and not being able to get back up.

Some time later, I was in a warm bed with the smells of food swirling about me. A girl, not much older than me, was bustling around the kitchen, obviously running behind schedule for the meal. When she noticed I had awakened, a bowl of soup and a wooden spoon were brought in front of me.

"Hello, you're that new novice everyone is talking about, huh? Well, I'm Cala, cook for the assassins and doctor for the peasants that live in Masyaf. Those assassins get special treatment from the Healers in the castle. Wonder why they didn't bring you to them? Why the lowly doctor? Oh, I should back to work, enjoy your soup. It's not much, but it should you over until after dinner." She spoke so rapidly, my brain took a few minutes to comprehend her speech. I was accepted as a novice, but I wasn't going to be treated like an assassin? Perhaps it was because I hadn't met the master yet and I began to wonder what he would be like. 


	5. Conference

"Oh! You're finally awake, I see!" Exclaimed someone from as I opened my eyes. She brought a steaming bowl of soup over, which I didn't hesitate to gulp down.

"My name is Cala," she said eagerly. I was about to introduce myself, but she kept on talking. "Chef to the assassins and doctor to the commoners, that's me. I'm pretty busy preparing for the celebration tomorrow. When I saw your robes, I thought they'd take you up to the Healers. But then again, I was wondering how a girl got them. I must be cooped up in this kitchen too much, not noticing they'd train female assassins. Wonder what would happen if I marched up to the Master...What's your name?"

I was so startled by Cala's ramble, I didn't respond. She repeated the question again and shook me softly.

"It's Hajar." My voice sounded so pathetic.

"Hmm, I suppose it'd due for now," She said thoughtfully before rushing over to a bubbling pot. What will due for what? I thought hard about that, when suddenly, I realized something was different. I wasn't it pain anymore. I reached over to inspect my once swollen and blood crusted wound. Tiny strands of thread laced it shut, the bubbles of skin were gone, and a minty cream coated my entire rib cage. Whatever Cala did, she certainly knew what she was doing. I wondered if Jabir could have done the same. The thought burned more than a knife through my head.

I heard the cook chirp a greeting to a rather dirty and scrawny boy.

"Message from up top," was his reply.

"Well, out with it!" Cala demanded kiddingly.

"I'm supposed to bring the girl to the Master, immediately," He added for emphasis.

"For what? She just woke up for heaven's sake!"

"Orders are orders." Cala groaned. The messenger casually walked over to the shabby bed I was laying in and offered his hand. I politely accepted and before I knew exactly what was going on, the sun's light blinded me. All I could do was let myself be dragged onward as my eyes adjusted. The street people of Masyaf grew less as I was lead toward the stone fortress. We passed a training arena where two novices were showing off their skills. I only got a quick glimpse of the action before entering the castle. He pointed me down a hall and hustled me forward. One of the fortress guards opened a door for us and I found myself in front of a council. The messenger bowed toward an old man who I assumed to be the Master, and left. I felt the stares of all when the door shut.

I looked around and found Altair sitting to the right of his master. Everyone else I didn't recognize, but I physically felt their critical thoughts. Altair gestured toward the empty chair next to him. Now that I was sitting down, I felt on argument about to arise.

"So, you are Hajar. I suppose the first order of our decision is finding more about you. Tell us, how did you receive those robes?" The Master asked apathetically. I decided not to make eye contact with anyone because I knew they would detect my fear.

"They were given to me," I answered softly, choosing my words with caution.

"Who gave them to you?"

This time, I remained silent, frantically thinking of an intelligent reply. The Master repeated the question even more loudly.

"My mother." The words spilled unintentionally and I regretted them immediately. One of the assassins spoke up.

"Where would a woman get a hold of such clothes? This girl is either lying or her mother stole them!" I held my breath until the Master spoke.

"We shall see," He said to the man, than he turned to me. "Now, Altair said that you possessed the Hidden Blade. Was this given to you by your mother as well?" I nodded. "Was your mother married?" I nodded again. Then there was silence. I could sense the wheels spinning in everyone's minds. Finally, the question was asked whose answer I heavily anticipated.

"Well then, should we accept her into the Brotherhood?" Someone across from me openly asked.

"All in favor?" The Master asked, looking around the table.

"I think it would be interesting to see what happens, I vote in favor," said the same person who had thrown the question out. I silently wished him happiness.

"This goes against everything we plan to do! No, the girl should be cast out of Masyaf! Or even better, killed because of how much knowledge she has acquired! How could you be such a fool, Kamal?" I wished upon this person such horrible things; even I was shocked at myself. There were eleven men sitting at the table, including Altair and the Master. I had five for training me and five against. The only one who had remained silent was the Master, until now.

"I see the decision is mine to make. Hajar will be allowed to stay and prove herself up to the challenge. From this moment on she is a novice." I almost burst at the seams with happiness. I lifted my head for the first time since I'd sat down.

"Thank you, Master. I will not abuse this opportunity." The Master smiled faintly and motioned for everyone to depart.

"You can take her the novice's quarters, Altair. She will be with Najid's group," the Master said before Altair and I slipped out the door.

"Congratulations, I didn't think they'd be so accepting," He said approvingly with one of his rare smiles.

"Me neither. What happened before I got there?" I'd been wondering that the whole time.

"There was a lot of explaining on my part. Most the time, we argued."

I didn't ask anything else, I was too anxious as we approached the novice's quarters. Altair walked me into a large room with rows of beds. The place was plain, but tidy. He took me to the very end of the row and gestured to the bed on the left.

"Everyone's training right now; they'll be here in an hour or two. I'll talk to Najid and he'll come before everyone else," He explained. Then he set down a small bag. "You're belongings." I realized that I had had none of my things with me the entire time. After Altair had stride away, I hid the bag under my mattress and hoped the assassin wouldn't tell of the cell phone, gum, pocket knife, and locket that were hidden inside. I slid off the bed and began to poke around a little. I found a stair way that lead up to floors where more advanced assassins probably stayed. I didn't dare to venture up there now, I heard footsteps approached the door way. I sprinted over to my bed and fiddled with my fingers, making it seem like I hadn't been doing anything.

"So, you're Hajar. I'm Najid. You take all orders from me, understand?" What a pleasant first impression.

"Yes, sir," I nodded.

"Good. I'll explain to everyone you're here on the Master's orders. If anyone harms you or ridicules you that does not have authority to do so, you report to me. We start your training bright and early tomorrow." With that, Najid walked away, leaving me all alone with my thoughts.


	6. Moving In

I was nearly petrified with fear as the novices poured in to their quarters. It was obvious that they'd been sweating pretty hard; the stench made my head spin. While I kept my head tilted down, I expected mockery and some teasing. Surprisingly, no one said anything to me. Najid was smart to give me one of the corner beds, that way I only had one neighboring person to deal with. But as soon as everyone settled into bed, the world was quickly digested by night.

Loud thoughts knocked around in my head as the hours crept by. A sharp wakeup call rung in my ears, forcing my heavy eyelids to ease open. I probably looked half-dead when we were lined up in front of Najid while he carefully inspected every single one of us. I felt a nervous ripple among the novices. "Everyone, to the field!" He barked. I was about to walk off with the rest of the boys, but his voice stopped me. "Hajar, come with me."

I followed Najid to the small fighting arena in front of the fortress and it was completely empty besides a couple of more advanced novices and an elderly man. The man presented two sheathed swords to Najid and the commander nodded his approval before holding them out to me.

"Your choice will affect your near future." I swear Najid memorized fortune cookie sayings in his spare time. I looked at both swords; both were short and appeared lighter than the swords the boys carried. They looked about the same at a first glance, so I made a quick decision and grabbed the sword in Najid's left hand. When I unsheathed it, the magnificence of the sword was breathtaking. The handle was carved into the shape of a leopard. The blade itself glimmered brilliantly in the hot Arabian sun, reflecting leopard spots that were masterfully welded in a slightly different color. I couldn't peel my eyes off of its beauty, but Najid brought me back to reality with his scholarly voice. "It's quite a lovely sword, isn't it?" I nodded my agreement. "The person who crafted it has recently passed away. His wish was for it to be wielded by someone unique. I think you qualify." He paused while I buckled my sword to my waist band. "The Master has asked for you to be tested. Let's start with throwing knives."

He pointed toward a sack filled with hay that had a target painted on it. Beside it was a pile of shining throwing knives of which I could keep three. After I made my selection, he stepped to the side and waited patiently. The smooth, cold knife twirled around my fingers as I looked at the sack person's head. Leaning in slightly, I brought my arm forward and released the knife between my fingers. My commander gasped as the knife speared the dead center of the sack's 'head'. I turned to him for some sort of feedback, but Najid was speechless. To hide his surprise, he ushered me into the fighting arena.

Another novice whom Najid had called over slid into the ring. I knew that I wouldn't win this fight with strength; any assassin was at least twice as strong as I me. Speed and the element of surprise were my advantages. We unsheathed in unison, making a musical scraping noise that echoed off the castle's stone. Then, he started circling and I imitated his every foot fall. His sword was suddenly charging toward me, I dodged and ducked, avoiding the blade I had anticipated when he twisted around. When he paused to recoup, I took advantage of the moment to wack him in the ribs with the flat side of my sword. His blade caught mine before I reached the target.

He pushed me down on my knees with ease, about to 'kill' me. I rolled out of the way and kicked the back of his knees, making him fall flat on his back. He leaped up just at the moment I did and we went back to rhythmic circling. Sweat rolled down my face and into my mouth as I anticipated his next move. He pretended to charge at me again and I reflexively jumped back. His blade pierced my cheek. I stumbled backward; his sword's flat side knocked me onto my stomach. My sword slid across the arena and when the other novice walked away, I knew I had lost miserably.

I retrieved my sword and sheathed it with shame; a loser like me didn't deserve such a majestic craft. I didn't have the courage to look Najid in the eyes while we walked. To my surprise, his laughed and patted my shoulder. "Well done! You probably would have won against a more amateur fighter. That was one of the advanced novices. Have you ever used a blade before?" He asked.

"No. Today was my first time," I admitted. He laughed again.

"You possess one of the great qualities of an assassin, the ability to fool an enemy. Fighting is another essential skill which you must acquire. You show potential, Hajar." I didn't know how to respond to that, so I remained silent. Suddenly, the question that had been buzzing around in my head last night popped back to me. "Where's Altair?" I asked casually.

"He's left. He should be back in time for the celebration. Why?" He added. I ignored the question.

"What celebration?" I asked in return, trying to change the subject. Thankfully, Najid forgot all about Altair and started to talk about the festivity. A novice was being accepted as a master and apparently, that was a pretty big deal. He went in to huge amounts of detail about the banquet, but I zoned out half way through.

To my surprise, he stopped in front of the horse stables. "Your task is to clean out the stable on the far left. That will be all for today, I suggest you get started right away," He said simply before leaving. I didn't realize what he had meant about starting right away until I unlatched the stable door and the strong stench of manure sent me into a hacking fit. Simply glancing into the stable revealed it had been neglected for months. The old horse inside whinnied softly and nudged my arm with the little life it had left. I truly pitied this poor animal.

The horse seemed to spruce up after a couple hours. Of course, by that time I had mucked the whole stall out and replaced his bedding. I wiped the sweat from my brow and headed for a soft place to collapse. On the way, I subconsciously started rubbing my scraped cheek, tracing the scab down my face. It was actually kind of neat to have a face scar. I suddenly laughed at that thought; I probably belonged here more than in the future. This world had thoroughly absorbed me into its tangled threads.

The novice quarters was deserted when I pulled my hood off and plunked down on my bed. I let my eyes close for just a minute before I heard another person's breath over me. When I shot up suddenly to glare at him, he fell backward over the other bed. I walked over to him and peered down at a frightened boy not older than thirteen. "What were you doing, hovering over me like that?" I questioned, trying not to sound irritated.

"I just thought Najid was just pulling our legs about a girl being trained. I guess he was telling the truth," He admitted honestly. Knowing the boy had meant no harm, I let him scamper off after telling him not to invade my space again. Then, I laid back down only to be interrupted by the sound of everyone else pouring into the quarters. I felt completely exposed without my hood on under the stares of the older boys.

One of them finally approached me. "So, you're the stranger that Altair found in Jerusalem. I'm glad they're changing things up a bit, training a girl and all. The name's Jaul." I smiled back politely.

"Yeah, I'm happy about it too," I thought out loud. To my surprise, he looked a bit shocked.

"You're saying you actually _want _to be an assassin?"

"Yes." He had to process this for a minute.

"Hmmm, how old are you anyways?"

"Eighteen."

There was a long pause before I finally spoke up. "My name's Hajar."

"Pleasure to train at your side, I want to see what you can do with that sword," He said, motioning toward the blade that lay on my bed. I nodded politely before he swirled into the blur of novices. The exhausted state I had woken up in finally clouded my mind with sleep.


	7. Mentor

Apparently, the Master had been satisfied with my test results because the next few days of training were horrifically gruesome. It took every speck of energy that I had to keep up with the boys while we carried out chores, drills, sprints, and sword fights. No one spoke to me besides the captains who threw in words of advice during a fight and, to my surprise, no one pointed out my gender. For that, I was incredibly grateful to Najid for having strong influence over his novices.  
One day, about a week later, training only consisted of a few fun fights and I was wondering why our training was being cut short. I mean, it was Wednesday, not Sunday.

Najid gathered us tightly around the training arena and told us to observe this next fight extremely closely. We all leaned in as two people entered the ring, one an older novice and the other a master of assassination. A bell went off and the tension of the fight infected the crowd, making all still and silent. The two apprehensively calculated each step before a streak of silver cut the air and the sound of scraping metal broke the anxious silence. The novice brought his sword back and attempted to whip around the master to strike his neck, but his superior was too quick for that. Everyone gasped when the assassin threw the novice into the fence of the arena. As his back hit the wood and his hood lifted, I suddenly recognized this person as Jaul. After seeing him, it was hopeless for me to watch the fight, my mind kept drifting.

Even after the fight was over, I remained still and silent while the crowd exploded with enthusiasm. Someone's hand gripped my shoulders and pulled me away from the arena and into the streets of Masyaf. When I turned around to see who it was, I had to catch myself from falling backwards. "What are you doing here, Jabir?!" I whispered hoarsely.

"To get you out of here, of course! Now, hurry up before they catch us. This celebration of theirs will be the perfect time to-" He began, but I abruptly cut him off.

"But I don't want to go!" The honestly of the statement caught Jabir off guard and he fell silent. "I'm sorry that you did do so much to rescue me, but I want to be here. I thought I told you that." I felt very guilty for what I had to say, because I knew it probably wasn't easy for Jabir to steal the robes he wore now. He looked at the ground and then looked at me.

"They'll ruin you here. They'll turn a beautiful girl into some murdering zombie! I beg of you, please don't do this!" Jabir pleaded, putting his hands on my shoulders, softly shaking me.

"I need to do this, I sacrificed everything I had! And I'm not letting you, or anyone else, stand in my way!" I bellowed a bit loudly. A few people turned their heads at me, but the excitement of the current event quickly consumed them once more. When I turned back to Jabir, the bleak despair in his eyes almost made me regret yelling at him. But, deep down, I knew that I had to become an assassin or my efforts to struggle in this new world would be in vain. I think Jabir realized that as well. "Then, I suppose this is good bye," He whispered tenderly. I wanted to scream out for him as he fled into the streets, but the noise wouldn't come. Good bye?! Was I never going to see him again? Oh, Jabir, come back!

Pain struck my heart like a dagger as I watch Jabir sprint away and I decided not to chase him, but to join the cheering novices as if I'd never left. Jaul had won against his superior in what the novices were calling a brilliant fight. I realized the celebration tonight was for him! He was being accepted as a master assassin! I also recall Najid saying that Altair would be back in time for this huge celebration and for this, I was very anxious; I had a lot of questions for him.

In was party time and everyone was chattering and laughing happily as they poured into the banquet room of the palace. I was sitting with the other novices attempting to start small talk, which wasn't going over so well.

"So, how'd you get here? I hear rumors that you were stuck in by traitors," said one with a laugh.

"That's not what I was told," grumbled another. "I heard that the Master is just testing our mental capacity."

"Why don't we let Hajar tell us how she came to Masyaf?" Asked Akil, a boy I'd befriended, who was sitting across from me. Everyone stared at me anxiously as I tried to formulate the words to explain to them about my journey without lessening their opinion about Altair.

"Well, I umm-" I was cut off by a loud horn and the Master's booming voice, telling everyone to be quiet. I sighed with relief; I was saved by the beginning of the ceremony.

"Welcome, all! Welcome to this very special gathering! Today, one of our novices, who has trained for over seven years, will be inducted as a master assassin!" The Master called out proudly and there was a round of applause before he continued. "I'd like to ask, Jaul to come up."

The novice we'd all seen as a confident fighter this afternoon appeared a bit nervous about the upcoming ritual. I didn't understand why he was so tense until I saw the knife. The Master gave him some sort of blessing that I couldn't translate and handed him a cup of…blood?! It looked like blood in the dim lighting, but it could have been wine, I'd have to ask Jaul when I got the chance. The event that occurred next still overwhelms me with fear to this day. Jaul leaned over a short yet long table, bowed his head, and stretched his left hand out as far as he could. The brave boy didn't even blink as the knife sawed through his ring finger. A couple of the novices, including myself, gave a little cry and turned away.  
Jaul's finger was quickly bandaged and the celebrations began when he slipped into his assassin's robes. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Altair slink through the dancing crowd toward the Master and I snuck over as well. Hunched under the stage, I only heard half of what they said.

"I think Jaul would be perfect. Of course, I would have let you train her, Altair, but I just can't risk you being slowed down," I heard the Master say.

"Yes, but perhaps Jaul is too young to take responsibility for another," Altair replied.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with a personal attachment to Hajar, would it?"

"Of course not," the assassin said sternly. "I wish luck to Jaul."

"Will you not celebrate with us?"

"No, I have someone I need to talk with." I could tell just be the tone in Altair's voice that he knew I was underneath the stage. His footsteps were heading toward the exit and that's where I was trying to get to as well. Suddenly, I was swept into some sort of group dance and thrust into someone arms.

"Jaul!" I exclaimed happily, relieved that I had crashed into someone I knew.

"Hey, Hajar," he greeted warmly.

"Did it hurt?" The question simply slid out of my mouth when I saw his bandaged hand.

"A little," He admitted. There was little pause before he started talking again. "So, I suppose I'm your mentor now."

"What?!" I gasped, almost falling over backwards when I crashed into the dancing partners behind me, but Jaul's firm arm caught me.

"That's what I was told… hey! Is something wrong?!" He called out as I sprinted out of the banquet hall. I ran blindly down the lengthy corridors of the fortress desperately trying to find my way out of that over populated hell. I ignored the glares and curses of those I trampled in my rage and kept charging onward until I found myself in the blinding light of a full moon.

"It's not polite to eavesdrop," said Altair.

"I can't believe this! I don't even get a choice!" I kicked the dirt angrily before becoming absolutely silent. Altair pat me on the shoulder and watched the clouds make dark patches on the ground as they drifted across the moon.

"Who would you rather have as a mentor?" He asked.

I immediately replied, "You."


	8. A First For All

For the few seconds in time that Altair was silent, it felt as if the world and my heart had come to a complete stop. He looked over at me and to my surprise, he was smiling.

"There's no other person I would rather take as a student," he said. "But I can't go against orders again…"

I asked, "Again? You've gone against the Master's orders before?"

"Not this Master's, ones of a previous leader. I learned well from what happened and I advise you to obey all orders. Do it for me if not for your own well-being."

The only reply I could muster was a mere nod through my shock. I had thought Altair didn't care a bit about me. This caring side of the assassin made me feel a strange ooze in my stomach while my heart pounded heavily against my ribs. What was this?

He suddenly looked rather concerned. "Are you alright, you look a little ill?"

"Oh, umm, too much food," I lied. In truth, my stomach was angry at me for not eating at the feast and I was feeling rather dizzy.

"Well, let's get you back to quarters." Altair wrapped his arm around my shoulder and walked me to the novice quarters in complete silence. I was so glad that he couldn't see me blush in the dim light of the night as he escorted me to my little corner in the barn. I sat on my bed and, throw a dirty window, watched the assassin walk back toward the stone castle. What was going on with my life now? First Jabir, then Jaul, now Altair. I pondered first about Jabir, the complete wild card of the situation. What concerned me was that he seemed like a passionate person who would commit suicide because it would be considered a romantic death. When I had seen Jabir the other day, he was obviously pretty depressed that I wouldn't go back with him.

There was also Jaul. I felt like such a jerk, the way I had run away like that. It wasn't his fault, or anyone else I had happened to run over, that he was my assigned mentor. Perhaps it was another of the Master's test. He was testing my emotional restraint that was it! I had to prove that I could handle any order given to me, despite how I felt.

Altair, however, was something I couldn't figure out. He was someone that had been guided me when I got blasted into this world. He was the reason I was alive right now and the reason I had been accepted as a novice. The way I could pay him back was by following orders, like he had told me to.

"The food wasn't that bad, was it?" Someone asked, sitting down next to me. I looked over to lock eyes with a concerned cook.

"The food was excellent, Cala. It's just that-" I was interrupted by an angry rumble coming from my stomach. She chuckled.

"Come on, we'll talk in the kitchen."

I literally inhaled the food placed in front me. Cala kept bringing me more while she cleaned off the counters and started scrubbing dishes. After I had my fill, I grabbed a plate and began working with her.

"So, what were you going to say?" She asked, looking up at me as I picked up a cup. I wasn't really sure if she could keep a secret, but I needed to talk to someone.

"Well, I have a mentor now. The thing is, it's not who I'd like it to be. I'm grateful for even being mentored, but I'm just a little upset, that's all," I said slowly, carefully choosing my words. Cala took the cup from my hands.

Lovingly, almost like a mother, she asked, "It's more than that, isn't it?"

My knees collapsed under me, and my hair slid in front of my face to hide the glassy droplets that slide down my face. Cala kneeled down next to me and pat my shoulder. Before I burst with anger and sadness and fear, I had to tell someone. Unfortunately, my words clashed together in a blur when I spoke.

"I really miss my parents, but I can never go back home. I think one of my close friends is going to do something terrible just because I'm training to be an assassin. I don't want anything to happen to him! Jaul has done nothing to me and I'm being such a jerk. I should go apologize, but I don't know what to say. I wonder how my mother is doing. She must miss me so much. What about my brother? I hope nothing's happened to him!" I paused for another round of sobs and suddenly I said, "I think I'm in love."

Cala lifted my face up and smiled. "As for this friend of yours, I'm sure he won't do anything. If he's mature, he'll accept your decision and move on. As for Jaul, he's a very nice and understanding person who will forgive you. Why, when he was a novice, he used to help me in the kitchen.

Your family probably does miss you, but you know they're probably safe and sound in their home." She helped me up and before starting to speak again, she locked eyes with me. "I can't help much on the topic of love, but I can say that you should be sure it's love and not lust."

A small smile crept up on my face. "Thank you, Cala. I know exactly what to so now!" I quickly hugged her and walked as briskly as I could back to my bed. I assumed it was around midnight by now and back at the sheds, as many liked to call the novice quarters, people were pouring in after the festivities. Some men were drunk and everyone else was trying to keep out their way. Once in a while, an unfortunate soul would accidently stumble in front of a drunkard and find themselves carried off by the intoxicated man. I was relieved to be sitting on my bed in a bunk house where no one appeared drunk. No wait, as I looked around I saw several boys who were staring at me as if they wanted to…. My heart suddenly froze when I felt Jaul sit down next to me. I began to talk first, because I didn't want to answer questions about my puffy eyes and messy hair.

"I'm sorry. For running off like that, I mean." I tried to think of some nice comment to throw in, but my brain hurt from crying. My throbbing head raced to form a sentence, but Jaul interrupted my thought process.

"I know I just became known as a master assassin tonight, but I hope you can trust me to-"

I cut him off. "Oh, no, it's not that I think you're incapable as a teacher! It's just that it was all rather sudden, that's all."

"Oh." He smiled and said, "Well, we're getting up before everyone else, so get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a first for both of us."

I was actually kind of happy that Jaul was my teacher and not Altair. For one, we would both be a newbie, me at being an assassin and him at teaching. If I had been assigned to train under Altair, I would have felt uncomfortable and intimidated because he seemed to be a true master at the art of assassination.

I walked into a closet and slipped into some pajamas. Then, I took the filthy robes which I hadn't washed since I'd received them, and miraculously scrubbed every spot of dirt out of them. It would feel so nice to slip in to clean clothes in the morning, just as slipping into my bed felt now. Okay, sure it wasn't the best of all beds, but after a day of training it felt like sleeping on clouds and soon and I quickly drifted off into a dreamless sleep. However, it felt like mere minutes of heaven before Jaul shook me awake. I stretched and dragged myself out of bed to change.

My new mentor was standing in front of a black stallion's stable, affectionately stroking the animal's nose. He smiled warmly as I pat the black beauty.

"Get a good night's sleep?" he asked with genuine friendliness.

"Yes, just not enough of it," I admitted.

"Same here." There was a slight sparkle in Jaul's eye and a small smile that pulled at his cheek. He obviously didn't like being looked upon as an emotionless stone. I thought I would rather enjoy learning from him.

He led me over to the fighting arena and unsheathed a short sword which he informed me he had just received yesterday. I slid my sword out as well and felt incredibly intimidated by Jaul's confident stance while he effortlessly tossed his short sword from hand to hand. However, I refused to let him take any note of my nervousness. When he looked over to motion me into the ring, he saw a confident young adult who looked extremely eager to do battle. I got a sickly bubbling in my stomach when I looked across the ring and saw a master assassin.

He charged me, and for a split second I thought I'd be sliced in half. The loud scrape of metal made me realize that I had blocked his attack. He rushed at me again, aiming for my shoulder. I ducked under his sword so as to cause him to trip over me, which worked quite effectively. His short sword flew out of his hand and slide out of the ring. I ran over to him and to my surprise, he was laughing.

"I've never seen that one before. I must say, that was quite clever," He said, standing up. "However, I still have one more sword." He unsheathed the long sword hanging from his belt and took a step toward me. My reflexes kicked in and sent me in the exact direction Jaul had predicted I'd go in. The sharp edge pierced my arm, shooting a numbing pain into my head. The blinding pain quickly developed into some sick blinding thirst for revenge. I began ferociously slashing at Jaul, but he cleverly blocked every single swing.

Suddenly, out of peripheral vision I saw a familiar figure walking up the stairs to the fortress. It couldn't be! I stopped fighting all together and I didn't feel the gash made in my leg. I didn't hear Jaul calling me from the ring, demanding why I had stopped fighting. All I could think about was Jabir.


	9. Plan

When Jabir caught sight of me, he sprinted toward the entrance of the stone castle and I chased after him. I believe Jaul had started pursuing us as well, but I was too preoccupied to say for sure.

"Jabir!" I called. "Jabir, what are you doing?!"

He didn't slow his pace when he entered the assassins' sanctuary, but I halted at the door, watching the horrific scene in front of me unfold. Jabir had crashed into the Master, who had been coming down the stairs, and in a split second the Master's guards had my friend by the neck. Just then, another man, the Master's advisor, walked in and a flicker of recognition crossed his face when he looked at Jabir. Not only did this person recognize Jabir, but he was furious with the sight of him.

"That, my Master, is a traitor! It is the man named Jabir whom I have told you about!" yelled the advisor. The Master stood up, brushed off his robes, and stood menacingly over Jabir. My friend looked over at me sadly and then looked at the floor to embrace his fate. As the Master declared a death sentence, I wanted to cry out and stop this, but my throat cracked and I knew that nothing I said could help Jabir.

The guards dragged my friend away and the Master and his advisor started to talk as if nothing had happened. Master spotted me standing stupidly in the entrance and waved me over to him.

"I take it you know something about our prisoner," he stated placidly.

I thought over my response carefully and quickly before I said, "He helped me while I was staying in Jerusalem."

"How did he assist you?"

"I was wounded and he helped with the healing process." I was attempting to keep my answers at vague as possible because I didn't want to make the situation worse.

"Why would he help you?"

"I don't know."

The Master nodded. "I will speak to you sometime tonight, Hajar. You best be getting back to you training." He motioned back toward the door where Jaul was waiting patiently. As me and my mentor strolled back toward the fighting arena Jaul began to question me as well.

"What was _that_?!" he demanded sharply.

I simply replied, "Jabir saved my life."

"That damn bastard? I don't believe it." I'd never seen Jaul this worked up before. He was so laid back; I never thought Jaul could be enraged.

"What did he do? I've always thought he was a good person," I said quickly, stopping Jaul from becoming even angrier then he was. He sighed and all the rage completely disappeared from his face.

"It happened when I was nine, but I remember it very clearly. Here, this might take a while" he said, motioning to a couple of barrels. We slid up on them and Jaul began his story.

"There was a very successful novice who was on his way to quickly becoming a master. I remember his friend was one of the brightest, on his way to becoming a Rafiq. They were both about fifteen when things started to get wacky. Ah, I remember Altair just older than those two; he was a natural with a sword." He paused to relish the moment. "The Master at the time suddenly launched an attack on the Templars, hoping to finally defeat them. However, someone had given away our plans to the enemy and five of our brothers were murdered that night.

Funny, that Jabir hadn't been seen the night before the attack, isn't it? That he was seen fleeing from Masyaf after the attack? The little rat betrayed the entire Brotherhood by giving away our plans to the Templars. We all felt, and still feel, hate toward that bastard for the loss of those five men. Do you understand now why he must die for his crime?"

I couldn't believe that someone like Jabir would do something so horrendous. I decided that I would visit him tonight in the prison to hear his side of the story. Perhaps there was a slim chance that I could save the person I owed my life to.

The day continued rather slowly after that, Jaul basically was trying to mentally prepare me for first assignment outside of Masyaf. Of course, he would be with me to guide me through the task and to insure that I didn't kill myself accidently. It sounded like something I would do.

By dinner time, that morning had felt like an eternity ago. I distracted myself from the daunting task of sneaking in the prison by chatting it up with the other novices. Most of them were friendly, and spoke to me the same way they spoke to all of their peers, which could be considered good or bad. Others either hated my guts for simply being alive or they appeared as if nothing would give them more pleasure than to take advantage of my gender. Everyone vanished from my mind when I saw Altair in the doorway of the dining room, motioning his index finger for me to come. Before anyone realized what I was staring at, he slipped away. I pushed my plate away, even though I had barely touched the food on it and slid away from the table. Truthfully, I wasn't at all hungry.

"You alright, Hajar?" asked Akil when I started heading for the door.

"I just need to take a walk, that's all. I'm fine, Akil."

He looked genuinely concerned about my well being, but nothing could stop me from responding to Altair's summoning. I almost ran right into the assassin, being that he was right there as I whipped through the door.

"What the rush?" He asked with an amused grin.

I smiled at my own foolishness and replied, "Well, you called."

"Yes. I wanted to ask you about Jabir. He's that man who brought you back to headquarters after you ran off, right?"

I nodded and added, "I can't ignore that he did me a great favor that night. Isn't there something I can do to save him?"

"You can prove his innocence."

This caught me completely off guard. How on earth was I to do something like? I probably didn't have much time to do it, either. I probably appeared as confused as I felt, so Altair began to clarify. "Jaul told me that you know the general story of what happened that night." I nodded. "I think it was not Jabir that betrayed us. I believe he was sworn to secrecy by his friend, who was studying to be a Rafiq. I would like to know the truth so that the first rule of our creed isn't broken. I'll help you into the prison so that you can ask Jabir what actually happened that night."

"Altair, you can't! Wouldn't that break the rule about betraying the Brotherhood?"

"Not to do this would be even more harmful. Don't worry; I've learned my lesson about following the creed. Come now, time is of the essence," he said and started striding away toward sanctuary. I scuttled after him with a heavy stone in my stomach, like something was about to go terribly wrong.


	10. Just The Beginning

The prison beneath the stone sanctuary was surprisingly clean. The walls appeared to have been recently dusted and washed and the floor had been swept so clean that I could see the cracks in the tiles and the Brotherhood's symbol engraved in each. It was only the stinging coldness that caused the goose bumps on my arms. That and the fact that if I were caught talking with Jabir, we would both die and I would let down the entire Brotherhood. According to the Altair, killing Jabir was a huge mistake, but it was up to me to confirm his suspicions.

With each step I felt colder and colder. My heart sank deeper and deeper. My foot hit the flat ground of the prison and there my heart froze. Ten cells lay before me, five on each side of a narrow hall lit with torches. The smoke stung the inside of my nose and my eyes started to water from forcing them to stay open. I called out Jabir's name. No reply.

"Jabir!" I called again and this time there came a small cry from one of the cells nearest to me. I got on my knees in front of the cells and found myself face to face with the very man who had saved me in Jerusalem.

"Go!" he whispered harshly. "I'm not worth a single drop of your blood!"

"Yes, you are, you're not worthless! But if want to help me, you must tell me something, and quickly, before the night watchman discovers that the potato sack on my bed isn't really me," I explained calmly yet briskly.

"Anything, please, ask anything if that can help anyone at all."

"I must know what happened one night when you were fifteen." His eyes lit up with shock and he opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. I asked, "What actually happened that the Brotherhood was never told?"

He paused for what seemed an eternity and I felt my time for returning to bed shorten drastically. Finally he said, "There was one night, my friend was acting very strange. He usually never seemed troubled over anything, but that night he was pacing. He said to me, 'Whatever happens, don't follow me tonight and don't speak that I am gone.' He handed me a piece of parchment and told me to never lose it. Later that evening, Templars attacked. I watched as my friend was taken away with them, but I remember looking back and seeing him pointing out directions…Oh god, they were slaughtered! Four of my brothers slaughtered by his hand!"

The tale was interrupted by sobs, and tears streamed down his face when I took his freezing hands. "He acted innocent! Then, he told my brothers that I had led the Templars here. But, that must have been a dream because he told me to run. He was going to meet me in Jerusalem…. He gave me a place to stay and food to eat. After he left…but I thought I saw his face today…"

I whisper, "I think I know who has betrayed your brothers. I will avenge them and you." I let him cry before I burdened him once more with another request. "Do you have the parchment he gave you?"

Jabir nodded and slid a two dusty pieces of paper out of his robes and placed them delicately in my hands. Why were there two? I looked up questioningly at Jabir and he said, "They are both from him. One from that night and the other from when he left Jerusalem. Run now, Hajar! Avenge my four brothers!"

The staircase I desperately fled up only made Jabir's gentle sobs echo in my head. It only made me run faster. I had to see Altair. He said he would await me in his chamber in the castle, if only I knew where that was.

When I resurfaced, the sun was just reaching the tips of the mountains, ready to start a new day. I didn't have much time. Jabir's execution was this morning. My legs rebelled as I broke into a sprint for stairs of Sanctuary. I halted in front of one the librarians who always arose early and asked him to point me to Altair's chamber. He did so and chuckled something about 'eager young folks'. I would have explained to the man my actually intentions, but a life was on the stake here. I didn't even knock before I threw open the door to the assassin's room and Altair jumped up from his reading bench. He sat me down on a chair and waited patiently for the information I'd learned.

I said after I caught my breath, "Jabir is innocent and I think I have the documents to prove it." He nodded and reached his hand out for them. Just as Jabir had placed them in hands, I placed them gently in Altair's as if they were made from the finest silks. He glanced at them for a moment and immediately looked bewildered. It was the very first time I'd seen a definite emotion from him.

"That bastard. These letters are written in a language I cannot read, but I know this handwriting and this signature well," he said, seemingly growling at the person he knew to have written those documents.

"It's the Master's advisor, isn't it?" I asked without looking at him.

"Yes. And he's leading another attack upon us today. Come, we must tell the Master." Even though he was a serious and rather mysterious person, I'd never seen him this grim before. I don't think I could even begin to guess how he heard of another attack, but he was the best assassin, so he was bound to pick up on a lot of things.

I felt as if I were in a race against time itself. As our silent footsteps drew closer to the Master's chamber, the sun quickly rose higher into the sky. Altair extended his hand for the handle of a door, but as he was about to turn it, someone had already twisted it from the other side. We found ourselves face to face with the Master and his advisor.

The Master looked slightly surprised, but he nodded slightly and said, "Altair, Hajar, it seems you have something to tell me." Altair nodded.

"By all means, come in," He said to us. Then he turned to his right hand man. "Go see to the start of the execution, Marid."

I was about to raise my voice in protest as Marid slipped out of sight but Altair hushed me up with a cold stare that said, "Not yet." The Master held the door open for us and I kept my head down shyly. As soon as we sat, I felt the Master's eyes fall upon me intently as if he were expecting me to say something. My plan, however, was to remain completely silent and let Altair do all the talking. As I had hoped, the assassin spoke up.

"Master, we have found reasons to believe an innocent man is about to be murdered," Altair said experimentally, awaiting the Master's reaction. He simply nodded for further explanation. "I sent Hajar into the prison to speak with Jabir, the man just locked up yesterday. I had suspicions that it was not Jabir that committed the crimes that happened fifteen years ago, it was his close friend. Hajar gave me these as proof that Jabir is innocent. The person who is guilty can clearly be determined from these papers."

Altair handed the two precious scraps of evidence to the Master and he carefully went over each. Apparently, what he read on the papers was so shocking he had the exact same reaction as Altair. I could barely stand still while he just sat there staring at the two documents.

The Master suddenly said, "By God, I've had a traitor by my side this entire time. Quickly! We must prevent the wrong person from being executed!" Altair dragged me along by the wrists as the Master jetted away more quickly than I thought an elderly man ever could.

My heart froze when I heard Marid's voice echo through the village. He sounded like an angel of death, delivering depression and hate upon all who stood around the gallows that had been assembled during the night. My feet thumped heavily against the ground yet I didn't even notice I was moving. The death sentence was the only thing that my mind could comprehend. Grey clouds of senselessness wrapped around me and lifted me from the earth and blurred my vision. I furiously brushed away the thoughts of hopelessness and shut out the sound of a rope being knotted. The clang of Altair's sword and the fluttering of the Master's robes fueled my attempts to reach Jabir and I easily raced ahead of them.

"STOP!" I bellowed, interrupting Marid's hypnotizing speech. A canvas bag was tied over Jabir's head, but he obviously realized who I was. I unsheathed my sword and sliced the noose in half with a graceful swing. When I turned to free my friend, I felt something slice into my skin. I was send tumbling by the flat side of Marid's sword.

"You insolent little bitch! I knew you were nothing but trouble and I warned the Master to simply kill you! I'll save him the trouble." He raised his sword over my chest. I closed my eyes, ready to embrace the cold horrors and wonders of death. Marid suddenly started choking. A silver throwing knife had been cast cleanly into his neck and the traitor's blood splattered onto my cheek when his limp body hit the wooden platform with a sick crack. I couldn't do anything but lay in shock and silence on the gallows. The Master explained to everyone what had happened and the tale of how I had supposedly been brave. He had said I was some sort of hero. I didn't even feel human right now, much less a person of credibility.

To my great relief, I didn't have to stick around; Altair gently led me to the assassin's infirmary. He stayed by my side while the doctors cared for the chunk of skin that had been peeled from my arm. He was still there after they left. I suddenly realized that he had been holding my hand the entire time and I immediately felt the heat rush to my cheeks. Altair leaned over me, swept the tangled hair out of my face, and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss lasted no more than a second, but it felt like a second in heaven. His hands caressed my neck even after he had pulled away.

"I think you're ready for a mission," he said. I couldn't do anything but smile up at Altair.


	11. Unwanted Return

I was forced to remain in bed for a couple days while various nurses fluttered about, tending to my arm. I thought about Altair a lot because I hadn't seen him since he had kissed me and told me I was ready for some sort of mission. To my great relief, Jabir came to visit me with a huge grin across his face.

"Hey," he greeted with a chuckle. "You look good in five miles of bandages."

"I can definitely pull this look off on a daily basis!" I laughed and it felt really good, I hadn't laughed in a long while. Jabir chuckled along with me and sat on the edge of my bed.

I asked, "So, how are things going?"

"Fairly well, actually. The Master has agreed to forgive and forget this entire incident and allow me to live here in Masyaf," he said happily.

"That's good. I'm so relieved to hear that. Will you train to be an assassin?" Jabir's smile faded and I regretted the question. The answer was so obvious.

"No. There are too many painful memories that would go along with that training. I'm just going to live a simple life as a villager. Oh, don't look so glum! This is probably going to be the best thing that's ever happened to me, aside from meeting you of course."

A smile crept back onto both of our faces and we both subconsciously agreed to change the subject. I brought up how he would go about his life as a normal villager and, to my relief, he cheerfully kept talking. Having Jabir here helped me more then he thought; his words kept me from focusing on my own depressing thoughts. Just him at my side warmed the air around me and drained all the sorrow and worry from the atmosphere. I was aware that the other people resting in the infirmary were listening to my friend talk of the people, the fruit stalls, Cala and her kitchen, and the children running around in the streets. I smiled and slowly drifted to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~

I sprinted through the door. My heart thumped so hard, my chest burned like it was on fire. I tripped on the rug. Wait, a rug? What was that doing in the middle of the infirmary? I gasped as I realized I wasn't in a place of healing, but my own living room. I stood up but my knees buckled and I collapsed once more. The couch caught my fall with its soft cushions and I fell asleep there.

"Katie? Honey, how was the dance?" a familiar voice asked as someone shook me awake. For some reason, the pain in my arm was gone. "How did your costume get all dirty? Come on now Kate, you should probably take it off before your father gets home."

I shot up with a sharp gasp. "Mom!"

She chuckled and said, "Yes, it's me. You sound surprised. Were you expecting your brother to wake you up?"

"No, it's just, didn't you miss me at all?"

"Well of course. But it was only a high school dance; I knew you'd be home soon."

"What?!" I cried sharply. Only a high school dance? I'd been gone over two months not longer! I'd been training as an assassin! I'd saved Jabir! I'd fallen in love…

I gasped when I realized that being here with my mom wasn't a dream, I was actually home lying on the couch. Time must have slowed when I was transported to Jerusalem. Wait…if I was back home, then I wasn't in the infirmary…ALTAIR! Oh no! No, no, no, no, NO! I jumped up and raced out the door, leaving my mom confused and calling for me. My heart beat wildly with the fear of not finding the thing that could take me back to the past. I just couldn't lose the things that I loved, even if it meant leaving my family behind. Please, please let me find it! Please?

The day was starting to fade away into dusk and I decided to stop searching for an assassin's weapon, knowing I had to find shelter of some sort. I looked around and found myself in a ghetto part of the city that I wasn't familiar with. I figured I would be fine being that I was loaded with weapons. The only thing that could harm me was a gun, which was what I was really worried about. From what I heard when I was in high school, people around these parts were druggies, gang members, and all those other 'bad influences' so I kept my guard up.

I finally found I small abandoned alley to rest in for the night. The most I did was close my eyes for a few minutes before I got up and started pacing. The gun shots that echoed through the area made me jump each time and eventually, I became too wound up with nervousness to sit down. The noises would die down and I would go back to resting before they started up again. It continued like that until sunrise, when I started searching once again.

Three days came and went, and I never found anything like what I looked so hard for. I slid down the side of a garbage bin and sobbed. Why did I have to meet Altair in the first place?! Why did I get transported back in time?! I truly thought the world had turned its back on me. It tore me away from the world and the person I just now realized I needed the most. I wanted to make his day brighter just like he did when he kissed me. I-I wanted to be with him always, to keep him company and to help with his burdens. Why was it now, that I was gone, that I finally listened to what my heart had been saying all along?

"Hey kid, it's okay. You'll find a way."

The man's voice startled me into a defensive position, and I raised my gauntlet in front of my face. He chuckled.

"No need, for that. I went back to the time of the Brotherhood too, you know. I know a way back if you'd like to come with me," he said gently, helping me too my feet. The man was rugged and dirty, looking as if he'd been homeless for quite some time. I had a hunch this person was a truthful one, even though he was indeed a hobo I just met moments ago. He brought me to a burn barrel a couple blocks away that he filled with trash and paper that he gathered around the street. The crackling fire chased the chill of the darkness away from me and my companion's bodies.

"Do you know of Al Mualim?" he asked, staring at the flames.

"I've heard a little bit about him, but we have a new Master," I answered.

He raised his finger to his chin and thought for a minute before saying, "This story has quite a bit to do with him and it has everything to do with why we were both sent back in time."


	12. Abstergo and Back Again

I watched the man with the upmost intent. He seemed to be formulating the thoughts in his mind, trying to remember the details of the Arabian world, and attempting to bring words to his frozen lips. Finally, he began to tell me his story.

"My name is Stephan. It was twenty six years ago, when I was nineteen, that I was transported to the time of the assassins. I was on my way to work one Saturday afternoon and saw something I glimmer by the creek."

"You mean the creek at the edge of town?" I asked.

"Yes. Anyways, I was crossing the old bridge and saw a strange knife stuck in the mud. The moment I picked it up, I was whisked away, quite like how you probably were. Unfortunately, I had the disadvantage of looking much paler then anyone anywhere in the area. I was suddenly swung into the world of the Brotherhood. I picked up the language quickly and they accepted me with open arms." Stephan sighed and remembered those times with a small smile.

I suddenly asked, "Did you ever meet Altair?"

He chuckled and replied, "I saw him a few times and I heard both good and bad things about him. I never really got to know him well. What about you, do you know him?"

"U-umm, yeah, yeah I know him." I felt my cheeks burn fire red and Stephan started laughing.

"How well?"

"Well, umm, it's kind of-"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. You don't have to tell me. But before I get you back to the Brotherhood, I must tell you what I discovered. The way we were transported was through a prized Templar treasure, some Eden such-and-such. That's all I really know. So, we just have to find a way back, which would mean going to this tall building and asking my cousin for some help," he said and sat down next to the burn barrel. I came over and sat next to him, to ask him if he was going to return with me. He shook his head.

He explained, "No. I went once and found no true peace there. I see that you truly belong there, which is why I'm helping you. But let's get some sleep and we'll set off first thing in the morning."

I supposed Stephan could fall asleep so quickly because he was so used to sleeping out on the cold streets. There was not much I could do but lay on the ground and stair up at the twinkling stars. I imagined that Altair was somewhere in the part, looking up at the same set of stars and the same full moon and that he was thinking of me. I knew that probably wasn't the case. My thoughts switched to Jabir. I wondered if he was thinking about me, if he was wondering where I was. Perhaps time was frozen there like it had been when I left this present time and they didn't even realize I was missing. It was still comforting to imagine Altair and Jabir peering up at the same sky, thinking about me the way I was thinking about them.

No sooner had I drifted asleep, did Stephan shake me awake. He pulled me up and almost literally dragged me half way to where ever we were walking to. I was just so tired.

"Time travel takes it out of a person, I'm told. It can only be done a few times before the traveler gets too worn out to do it anymore," the hobo explained, catching me once again. Wow, that was a reassuring thing to say. However, I was just too exhausted to question his statement.

I felt nice to be stared at, but I suppose Stephan and I were an odd sight. Who wouldn't notice a homeless man trying to keep a chick in robes loaded with weapons from toppling over? Thank goodness it wasn't far to the building that Stephan was talking about earlier, I felt rather faint and ready to collapse completely. I looked up at the company's name as we stepped through the door. _Abstergo_. I'd never heard of them before.

When the secretary at the front desk saw us and immediately let us by, I was taken completely by surprise. I had thought she would never let a hobo and a stumbling teenager right into the elevator, but I knew that I shouldn't be surprised by anything, considering what I'd been through. Stephan knew exactly which floor he wanted to go and when we were about to step out, we ran into someone who was about to step in.

"Stephan!" I heard the young lady cry out.

"Hello, Lucy," Stephan replied, helping her up to her feet. I stood up and squeezed out of the elevator doors just before they slammed shut. Lucy stared at me and took a long blink.

She said, "Those robes…"

"Please, you have to help me go back," I pleading quietly.

Stephan added, "You said you owed me one." Lucy nodded and motioned me along. It was only after we rounded a corner that I noticed Stephan wasn't with us anymore. I began to wonder about the relationship between him and Lucy and how exactly she owed him a favor. Guilt made me think about why he had spent that favor on me. I knew that he probably could have used it to get a house or some food or something valuable like that. Lucy led me into an office and locked the door using both the dead bolt and some sort of code. She gestured toward some chairs and we sat across from one another.

"So, tell me, you picked up some sort of assassin artifact and it transported you to Altair's time period, right?" Lucy asked calmly, picking up a small notepad and a pen in order to take notes.

"Yes."

"Where did you find it?"

"Outside my school, by the dumpsters." She scribbled down some things.

"Okay. So, how did you get back?" Lucy asked with a little more seriousness in her voice.

"I don't know. I fell asleep, I think, and somehow I was back in my living room, just waking up on the couch." She jot down some more words and looked at her note pad for a while.

Then she said, "I think what we need to do is to acquire an artifact and put you into an Animus."

"What's an Animus?" I asked. Why was this Abstergo company so mysterious?

"It's a special machine that can view inside your DNA and retrieve information and even memories about someone's ancestors. But in this case, I can insert a certain type of chip into the machine and perhaps the Piece of Eden will take you back to those times when you hold one of the Brotherhood's blades. Come on, we'd better get this done quickly."

It felt as if for the past few days, I had done nothing but rush around for place to place and room to room. I supposed that day would be no different as Lucy ushered me down the maze of Abstergo's halls. The door she literally shoved me into opened up into a small room with a computer and what I assumed to be the Animus. It looked like a metal bench lit up by the blue lighting going down the middle of it.

"Here, take this and lay down," Lucy ordered, handing me what I recognized as a Hidden Blade gauntlet. I took it delicately and laid down on the Animus carefully, not wishing to break the company's equipment. I closed my eyes while I waited and listened to Lucy pressing buttons, starting up machines, and typing in various codes. Then, there was silence.

I opened my eyes, but not to the city of Jerusalem or the hot desert sand, but to the metallic ceiling of the room. A depressed sigh escaped my lips and Lucy looked incredibly sorry for me. I swung my legs off the Animus and suddenly, the sensation began. Joy bubbled up inside my soul while I became dizzier and dizzier as the world spun increasingly faster. I realized how much easier this transportation was compared to that Halloween night so many months ago. The switch through the time periods was like gliding through butter.

Now came the part I disliked so much. The water drew closer and closer to my body and I suddenly remember all those countless hours of swimming and diving lessons. I shot into the water quickly and almost painlessly. The damps robes were pulling me down farther into the depths of the water and I frantically reached above my head for the surface. Suddenly, I felt four firm hands grip me under each shoulder and pulled me onto a toasty wooden dock. I hoped that my wet clothes weren't clinged to my body so tight that my-

"Are you alright, miss?" someone asked in worried Arabic. The language already made me feel more at home. I pushed myself up and found that unlike last time, I was neither nauseous nor tired.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for saving me. Umm, do you know of which city this is?" I asked, feeling rather stupid.

"This is Acre. Are you sure you don't need help getting somewhere?" he questioned, obviously skeptical that I could simply walk away and find my home alone. The man seemed harmless enough, but he couldn't take me where I needed to go.

"Oh, no, I can get there. Thank you again," I said, already half way down the harbor. I set off in a fast walk and tried to appear like I knew exactly where I was going, which I didn't. I'd never laid a foot in Acre before and I had no idea where the headquarters would be. As for getting back home, there was only one reasonable option that was relatively quick. I had to sneak over the city walks, mound a steed, and ride as hard as I could back to Masyaf.


	13. Reunited

It felt spectacular to gallop on a horse down that familiar trail again. I let my hood fall back and laughed as my hair flopped to the rhythm of the hoof beats. The dusk was revealing the most perfect sunset with ribbons of pink, lavender, and orange swirled in the eastern half of the sky. A small indent in the side of a mountain came to my attention as the perfect place to hunker down for the night. I released the horse to graze while I started a fire. The rocks I rubbed against each other lit the twigs up with ease and the fire soon reached a pleasant height and temperature. It was quite cozy next to the flame and my eyes soon drooped shut.

I stretched out my arms and shook the sleepiness out of my body. The funny thing was that I didn't even remember falling asleep. Ah well, the time traveling was probably more tiring than I thought it had been. I looked up at the most gorgeous sunrise, and I would have stayed there watching it, but my horse kept nuzzling my arm impatiently.

"Alright, alright, we'll go now," I said with a small laugh. It just felt so good to be back where I belonged. I swung up onto the stallion and we shot off as fast as the horse could go. Familiar scenery whizzed past us: the sand, the mountains, small patches of grass, and shepherds with their herds of sleepy sheep. We flew right by a group of people in assassin robes who were sitting in the ruins of an abandoned home. WAIT, _assassin_ robes?! I tugged the horse into a sharp u-turn and trotted a little closer to the group of three. Yes, I was sure of it, they were definitely assassins. I dismounted and silently crept closer to hear what they were saying. I heard my name and tiptoed to a half-destroyed window.

"It's just odd. How could someone just disappear like that?" asked one. I'm sure I recognized him from somewhere…oh! It was Malik, the Rafiq from Jerusalem.

The man to his right was one I didn't know. He replied, "I'm telling you it's the Templars! They kidnapped her and they expect us to go and rescue her. I say we leave her."

I wanted so badly to shout out that I was alright, that I was okay, but suddenly, I realized who the third man was. I wanted him to voice his opinion before I leapt out.

"I'll go for her. You two can go back if you wish," he said. For Altair to say those words made my heart bubble and ooze with such happiness that I could hardly contain myself. I'd never known anyone who would go search for me despite the mortal danger.

"Altair, it is a suicide mission. Hajar has been missing for three weeks now, she's not coming back," Malik said, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. For a split second, I saw a flicker of depression and longing in Altair's eyes before he became infuriated.

He headed for the hole in the bricks where the door would have been and I scampered away so that he wouldn't see me. The assassin yelled at his comrades, "Go home then!" He saw my horse, mounted it, and galloped away from the same direction I had come. Were you freaking kidding me?! I was not about to walk all the way back to Acre. I could ask one of the shepherds for a sheep to ride back…

"Hajar! It can't be you!" Malik yelled, staring at me in shock. I strode next over to him.

"Hello, Malik."

He said quietly, "We all thought you were dead."

"In a way, I was."

"Hmm, how much of that conversation did you hear?"

"The last couple of minutes," I replied.

The Rafiq said, "Then you know you should probably go after Altair before he kills himself over you."

I nodded, and then asked, "How could I possibly catch up to a stead that fast?"

"Simple, we get Abbas to piggyback you there. He claims to be as fast as lighting."

"Hey!" the assassin inside complained.

Then Malik said, "No that would be really uncomfortable for you. His back is really boney and he has-"

"Shut up!" Abbas shouted irritably. Malik and I exchanged a look and we both smiled at his ridiculous idea.

"Anyways, there's a horse stable back that way." He pointed toward the direction Altair had galloped off in.

"Malik," I said. "Thank you."

He nodded and waved as I sprinted off toward the stables. Thoughts of Malik and Abbas melted away from my mind and were replaced by stopping Altair. My whole brain was in full gear. I stopped in front the stable doors and immediately recognized- from my training- which horse would be the fastest. The little brown mare literally took a flying first stride the moment I hit the saddle and I was almost flung off. Maybe the second fastest horse would have sufficed.

I never caught sight of Altair even after a whole day of hard riding. I expected that though, being that the stallion was almost as fast as that mare and he had gotten quite the head start. I slowed my stead to a walk and scanned the area for a place to sleep, which was difficult in the cloudy moonless night. Suddenly, the faint glow of a fire caught my eye and I dismounted. I was praying that the fire belonged to the assassin I was so desperate to see. Oh, why hadn't I just shown myself before he stormed off? My heart knew the answer. I didn't want to reunite with him in front of Malik and Abbas; I wanted it to be a private moment that I could share with Altair my entire life.

There he was, sleeping soundly in front of his dying fire. I collected some more wood, got it going again, and then stared at him. I reached over and gently pulled his hood down. I was almost startled by how handsome he was, though I was expecting him to be so in a weird sixth-sense kind of way. The only default on his smooth face was the scar over the left side of his mouth. I stared at it and wondered where and how he had got it. I pondered the fact that we hardly knew anything about each other, yet we'd sacrifice our lives for the other. I wondered if this was true love at first sight, you just simply knew that you were meant to be with this person. I noticed that Altair began to twitch madly in his sleep, like he was running away, or toward, something.

"No. No, no, no!" He cried, repeating the word over and over again. I heard threatening voices approaching in the distance. I quickly stomped the fire out and tried to think of a way to shut Altair up. My frantic mind came up with something completely ridiculous, but it worked. I laid down beside him and pressed my lips to his. He shot upright with his Hidden Blade unlatched and pinned me to the ground with the cold metal to my throat. Altair met my eyes and fell backwards on his knees looking as pale as if he'd just seen a ghost. He suddenly took me into his arms and sighed in relief. The assassin was about to say something, but he heard the men approaching with hounds, whose barks echoes through the rocky hills.

The strangers took their good sweet time passing us, but I was okay with that. I could sit in Altair's lap all night waiting for them to go. He had pulled my hood down and started stroking my unruly hair, which I was somewhat embarrassed about not brushing in over a week. The sounds of the people had faded into the night and I burst out laughing when Altair actually got his hands tangled. I heard him chuckle and he leaned his head on my shoulder.

"What happened to you?" he asked softly. Oh, this was going to be a tough question with an answer that would completely trash the moment.

"Let's talk about it later," I replied, snuggling up closer to him. He didn't argue or insist on getting the answer out of me, but instead scooped me up in his arms and softly laid me on the ground. I watched as Altair restarted the fire with a small smile across his face. I swear this was probably the most emotion I'd seen from him within a twelve hour time period.

He came over next to me and wrapped his arm around my waist to bring me closer to him. I was thankful for the black night to hide my scarlet blush when he started kissing my neck. My heart was racing faster than that stallion by tenfold. Altair whispered in my ear, "I am glad you're back." Then, he pressed his lips to mine and I had a miniature panic attack inside my head. _What was I supposed to do again?!_ Oh, right. This kiss was even more amazing then the one in the infirmary; it was one that consumed my soul and nibbled away at my speeding heart.

When I woke up and found Altair still wrapped around me, I couldn't help but feel truly blissful. I tried to move, but his arms were impossible to escape from. I was okay with that.

~*~*~*~*~*~

**Note**: I would like to thank everyone who has been reading this! I want to thank all of you for your support and your reviews; it really does mean a lot to me! 3 I hope you all enjoyed the little bit of extra romance, though I'm terrible at writing it, and I hope that you'll enjoy my future chapters. Just by the way, I think this story will be about 20 chapters long give or take.

Thank you all again! And have a good rest of the day!


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